Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary situated in Madhya Pradesh’s Mandsaur is all set to be second home for the third batch of cheetahs coming from other countries. Significant herbivore, including spotted deer, black bug, are traslocated to the sanctuary for preparing a prey base for the cheetahs.  After Sheopur’s Kuno National Park, experts have found Gandhi Sagar better place for the cheetah re-introduction. The sanctuary is being prepared s second home to cheetah for past one year and now it is in final stage. Officials have started preparing the prey base with herbivore in the sanctuary.

 

Enclosure have been prepared over 64 sqkm of area and target is set to release at least 1,400 deer species like spotted deer, black bug, Chinkara (deer species), etc in the sanctuary. In first phase of deer translocation, a group of 23 cheetals (spotted deer) and black bug were brought to Gandhi Sagar from Kanha National Park on January 9. These deer have been released into 90 hectare of land conserved for the herbivore species. Translocation of deer has been done under monitoring of veterinary doctors. Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary SDO Rajesh Mandwalia informed that the area is almost prepared to receive cheetah. He said, “We are expecting a group of cheetahs in Gandhi Sagar by end of February or first week of March.

 

Authorities have asked to ensure translocation of at least 1,400 deer species including spotted deer, black buck in the sanctuary at earliest. First round of deer have been released from Kanha National Park. The team has installed boma to capture and deer for next round of translocation.” He further informed that around 500 cheetals will be brought from Kanha National Park and around 250 deer species is targeted to bring from Van Vihar National Park, Bhopal, around 250 deer from Rajgarh-Narsinghgarh and around 400 deer will be brought from Shajapur. He said, “we cannot say exact number of deer translocation as they are being captured through the boma which is a natural process of capturing the delicate species.”